Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah adjourned the House to grieve the death of Speaker Rebecca Kadaga’s niece, Sheila Kadaga.
Oulanyah was rendered redundant for a year and 11 days without chairing the House until today when Kadaga was forced to go and mourn her niece’s death.
However, when the session started on Wednesday afternoon, Oulanyah said he would allow Parliament stand in solidarity with Speaker Kadaga.
“From the moment I was asked to chair this House, I saw a lot of comments on social media, people asking what I would say. I can only do what I have always done. We will not have this sitting in solidarity with the Speaker who has lost a dear one,” Oulanyah said.
“I am doing this because even if this was the last opportunity for me to preside over the 10th Parliament, I would let it go because it’s not human to proceed while the Speaker mourns.”
Parliament also observed a moment of silence in honour of Kadaga’s fallen niece before the sitting was adjourned to tomorrow Thursday.
The two bigwigs have expressed ambitions of standing for Speaker in May as Kadaga seeks to retain the seat while Oulanyah wants to take over.
Both Kadaga and Oulanyah have for many years been in a cold war that became pronounced in 2013 when the Omoro County MP claimed on a radio talk show that he was always being set up by Kadaga to oversee debate on controversial matters.